As the real estate market moves past the midpoint of the year, data from Mark Slade Homes indicates that Maplewood, NJ, and its sister town of South Orange, NJ, are experiencing continued strength in both prices and demand. The weekly market tracking, which utilizes a proprietary "hyper market index," shows that these communities are outperforming last year's figures, with homes selling faster and for higher prices.
The hyper market index, developed by Mark Slade, who holds two degrees in Economics, compares the number of homes under contract to active listings. A ratio above 1.0 signifies a "hyper market," where demand outstrips supply. This real-time measure contrasts with traditional absorption rates, which average closed sales over six months and may understate current conditions due to seasonality. According to the latest data for the week ending August 23, all seven towns tracked are showing robust activity, though with varying degrees of intensity.
Montclair leads the group with a hyper market index of 1.9, 191 homes sold year-to-date at an average price of $1,512,172, and homes selling at 22.5 percent over asking. The average days on market is just 17.4. Maplewood follows with 137 same-year listings sold at an average of $1,304,556, 16.4 percent over asking, and the fastest pace of any town at 13.6 days on market. Its index stands at 1.2. South Orange shows an index of 1.6, higher than Maplewood, with 86 solds at an average price of $1,230,401 and 15.8 percent over asking.
West Orange has seen 239 solds at an average price of $768,749, with homes going for 10.6 percent over asking and averaging 20.6 days on market. Union's 198 solds average $602,239, with a 4.2 percent premium and an index of 1.0. Livingston remains the softest of the core markets, with an index of 0.7, indicating more active listings than homes under contract. Its average sale price is $1,399,451, only 3.2 percent over asking, and homes take about 20.2 days to sell. Rahway, the newest addition to the tracking, shows even softer conditions with a 1.2 percent premium and a 0.3 index.
Year-to-date closings reveal a contrast in carryover inventory. Maplewood has closed 156 total sales, with 137 of those from listings taken this year, indicating minimal drag from older listings. In contrast, Livingston's 204 closings include a significant share from prior-year listings, which may explain its lower pricing power. Additionally, exclusive listings—homes sold without full market exposure—account for 10.8 percent of Livingston's closings, compared to 2 to 6 percent in other towns.
Compared to last year, 2026 is outperforming 2025 across the board. Maplewood's closed sales represent 87.8 percent of its year-to-date total from 2025, with notable increases in average sale price and percentage over asking. South Orange is at 84.9 percent, West Orange at 80.5 percent, and Montclair at 88.4 percent. Livingston trails at 76.5 percent.
For sellers considering a fall listing, timing matters. August is typically slow, and listing during Labor Day week can compete with back-to-school activities. Slade advises waiting until the week after Labor Day, allowing buyers to settle into routines, which historically yields better results. Those interested in following these trends can check the blog for ongoing updates.
